The Roman Empire was responsible for the spread of classical sculptural traditions across the territories of more than thirty modern countries, but in many places, notably in marginal regions like Britain, this artistic heritage was only partially adopted, and often took distinctly unclassical forms. This lecture re-examines the 'provincialism' of such sculptures. Focusing on Britain, it exposes the role of geography and geology in the shaping of Roman provincial art and turns upside down some engrained assumptions about its character and locations.

This inaugural lecture marks the launch (due March 2010) of the new RIHA Journal, the Journal of the International Association of Research Institutes in the History of Art. It represents an ambitious effort to coordinate and support the multiple approaches to art historical research in RIHA’s many member countries through the production of a freely accessible online journal. The Journal makes use of local editors from all the member institutes, including The Courtauld, to peer review and publish outstanding articles in this field. Managed by Dr Regina Wenninger in the Zentralinstituts für Kunstgeschichte in Munich, the Journal is supported by the German government in the form of specially adapted ‘Plone’ software for multi-site editing. For further information see http://www.riha-journal.org